“I don’t think they have a choice,” he said. “There are both private and government-funded grants that are related to improved outcomes.” He noted that many states are moving to a funding model that bases support for public institutions on the number of students they graduate instead of how many are enrolled (see “Higher education funding models changing“).
Blackboard Analytics for Learn
Providers of learning management systems (LMS) software recently have begun to develop and integrate learning analytics tools into their product designs as well.
Launched in 2011, Blackboard Analytics for Learn uses learning analytics to track multiple metrics, such as gradebook scores and involvement in online discussions, to help students monitor their performance in a given course, and compare it to how their peers are performing.
“The data come from multiple sources, not just the LMS,” said Jim Hermens, general manager of Blackboard Analytics. “Right away, we’re co-mingling traditional student management data and LMS data and exposing that to the student.”
Professors can analyze and monitor student activity patterns and trends over time, identify at-risk students early on, and keep performance data current for students quite easily. The product offers several user-friendly tools for self-service, including pre-built dynamic report formats.
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Hermens said Blackboard Analytics allows administrators to examine not only students’ performance, but also their progression to determine whether there might be problems in the design, structure, or delivery of a course, among other things.
He called learning analytics a necessary tool for colleges and universities, explaining: “Having the data is a critical component, [but] having a program [to help] you use [the data] for constant improvement” is important as well.
Though some colleges use Blackboard Analytics for Learn to improve course retention rates and monitor student progress, Hermens said the product also is used in many institutions to assess course structure. Some administrators would like to attract students to less popular majors, and Hermens believes the presentation and breadth of data collected by Blackboard Analytics for Learn can help them evaluate their courses with an eye toward this goal.
Desire2Learn Analytics
Desire2Learn Analytics aims to improve student outcomes through four primary objectives: designing curricula-aligned assessments, analyzing results and reporting on evidence, making informed improvements, and defining outcome standards.
The product compiles data using quizzes, rubrics, competencies, and learning outcomes to compare students’ results with learning objectives so that professors can better assess whether their assignments are effective. Students also are able to compare their performance to that of their peers.
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